Fruit basket or hamper



Oct. 17, 1933.

R. T. BARBER FRUIT BASKET OR HAMPER Filed Sept. 23, 1952 Patented Oct.17, 1933 PATENT OFFICE FRUITBASKET R HAMPER Raleigh T. Barber, Tampa,Fla.

Application September 23, 1932 Serial No. 634,606

3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to hampers or baskets usually employedfor shipping fruit, and vegetables such as oranges, apples, okra, beans,etc. and has more particular reference to means for ventilating thebaskets or hamper and insures against deterioration of the fruit.

Briefly the invention consists in the provision of means within thebasket or hamper to insure a circulation of air within the basket andabout the fruit for ventilation purposes.

Further in accordance with the present invention a tube is provided thatmay be readily placed within the basket, and as easily removedtherefrom, and which when arranged in the basket will insuredistribution of air in the manner above suggested.

The invention together with its numerous objects and advantages will bebest understood from a study of the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through having the invention appliedthereto.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the tube embodying thefeatures of the present invention and Figure 3 is a plan view of theblank from which the tube is made.

Referring more in detail to the drawing it will be seen that 5designates generally a conventional fruit basket or hamper and includesa bottom wall having a ventilating aperture 6 therein, the usual side orperipheral wall, and a removable cover or lid '7, the latter being alsoprovided with a centrally located vent opening 8 arranged in alinementwith the opening 6.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a tubedesignated generally by the reference character 9, and this tube isadapted to be arranged vertically within the basket 5 in alinement withthe apertures 6, 8' to permit the entrance and egress of air to and fromthe tube, and the walls of the tube are provided with apertures 10through which the circulation of air passes into the basket from thetube, and from the basket into the tube passes outwardly through theopening 8.

The tube 9 is formed from an oblong blank .11 of comparatively rigidmaterial, preferably paper, and in actual practice it has been found toemploy corrugated paper. Preferably the blank 11 is of a lengthcorresponding to substantially the depth of the basket 5, and is foldedon parallel longitudinal fold or score lines 12 into the shape suggestedin Figure 2. Adjacent a basket one longitudinal edge thereof the blank11 has secured to one face thereof, a plurality of relatively spacedtabs 13 of paper or other suitable material, and when the blank isfoldedto assume the shape shown in Figure 2, the free ends of the tabs 13 areeasily secured to the blank in a manner suggested in Figure 2 wherebythe wings or sides 11a of the blank are secured with their meeting edgescontacting as shown in Figure 2. The blank 11 isof course suitablyapertured to provide the fold l0.

With the blank thus folded and secured in folded position, it will beseen that it provides a tube like structure of comparatively rigiddurable construction, and which when arranged in the basket as shown inFigure 1 will admirably serve to increase circulation of air within thebasket.

As is also apparent from the above, the tube 9 when arranged within thebasket 11 will have its ends engaging the bottom of the basket and thelid 7 and will be retained in vertical position by the contents of thebasket, thus requiring no particular means for securing it in position.

It is also apparent that the tube can be used in-g0 conjunction ,with'aconventional fruit basket or hamper and will in no wise requirealteration in the construction of the basket or hamper. Likewise thetube can be manufactured at a nominal cost, and will, when arrangedwithin the 5 packed basket in no wise cause injury or bruising of thefruit.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodimentof the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible offurther changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scopeof the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a tube for use with fruit basketsand the like for enhancing ventilation, and composed of a single blankof flexible material folded on two parallel longitudinal fold lines, andtabs adhesively 100 secured to the blank adjacent the longitudinal edgeportions thereof for securing said edge portions in abutment and to holdthe blank in its folded condition.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a tube for 1055 use with fruitbaskets and the like for enhancing ventilation, and composed of a singleblank of comparatively rigid material folded on.-two parallellongitudinal fold lines, and tabs adhesively secured to the blankadjacent the longitudinal 11.0

edge portions thereof for securing said edge portions in abutment and tohold the blank in its folded condition, said blank being oblong in plan,and provided with a plurality of haphazardly arranged aperturesproviding ports for the tube.

3. A ventilation tube for fruit baskets comprising an oblong blank ofrelatively stifi material folded on two spaced parallel longitudinal

